What is the origin of the Minor Cold solar term? Which solar term is Xiaohan?

What is the origin of the Minor Cold solar term? Which solar term is Xiaohan?
Minor Cold marks the beginning of the coldest days, so what is the origin of the Minor Cold solar term? Which solar term is Xiaohan? Let’s take a look at the following content!

What is the origin of the Minor Cold solar term?

Minor Cold is the coldest time of the year, and it is during this period that people can fully welcome the arrival of the new year. However, it is also the coldest time of the year in terms of climate, and the temperature begins to reach freezing levels. Minor Cold marks the beginning of the coldest days of the year. As the saying goes, "The coldest days are in the 39th day of winter". The "39th day of winter" is mostly from January 9th to 17th, which is also within the Minor Cold solar term. In most parts of China, the coldest time is often during the Minor Cold. Weather proverbs popular in various places can serve as evidence. For example, in North China, there is a saying that "During the Lesser Cold and Greater Cold, water turns into ice", while in the Jiangnan area, there is a saying that "During the Lesser Cold and Greater Cold, it is so cold that ice balls are formed".
In ancient times, it was called the time when wild geese fly south. The Lesser Cold, which is when the wild geese fly south, is considered the coldest time of the year and people begin to enjoy the joy at the end of the year. On the day of Lesser Cold, "the geese fly north". The ancients believed that among migratory birds, wild geese migrate according to the yin and yang. At this time, the yang energy has moved, and the geese flying north have already sensed the yang energy. The beginning of Minor Cold usually marks the beginning of the twelfth lunar month, which is less than a month away from the New Year, so the festive atmosphere becomes stronger and people begin to get busy writing Spring Festival couplets, cutting window flowers, going to the market to buy New Year pictures, lanterns, firecrackers, incense, etc., in preparation for the Spring Festival.

Which solar term is Xiaohan?

Minor Cold is the fifth solar term in winter and the 23rd of the 24 solar terms. Minor Cold indicates that the cold winter is about to come and the coldest period of the entire winter is approaching. The time of Minor Cold is not fixed. Taking 2020 as an example, the time of Minor Cold is January 6th in the Gregorian calendar, which is the twelfth day of the twelfth lunar month.
The weather is relatively cold during the Minor Cold, so it is recommended to eat some warm and nourishing food, and of course, also eat some vegetables and fruits. If the fruit feels cold, you can warm it up before eating. After the Lesser Cold, there will be the Greater Cold. Usually during the Greater Cold, many areas will start to snow and the weather will be very cold.
There are many proverbs about the Minor Cold weather, such as: "Minor Cold and Greater Cold, freeze into a ball.", "Minor Cold and Greater Cold, prepare for the New Year.", "The seventh and eighth days of the twelfth lunar month, it's freezing to go out.", "It's cold in the 39th day of the twelfth lunar month, and hot in the 4th day of the twelfth lunar month.", "The snow is half a foot thick in the twelfth lunar month, but the wheat still feels it's not quilted enough.", "Three fogs in the twelfth lunar month, the riverbed is trampled into a road.", "Minor Cold Festival lasts for fifteen days, and the seventh or eighth day is the 39th day of the twelfth lunar month.", "The weather is cold, but people are not cold, change the old habit of winter idleness."

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